Toupee.



L. S. SAMUEL.

TOUPEE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17 1911.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

WITNES ES:

LEOPOLD S. SAMUEL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

TOUPEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8,1912.

Application filed November 17, 1911. Serial No. 660,855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEOPOLD S. SAMUEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toupees; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a toupee or a small wig which is sanitary and comfortable, and which is less apparent to the observer than the usual type.

Toupees as usually made are composed of a strip which is attached by wax or similar adhesive to the head. I affix the toupee herein described in a similar manner, 5. 6., by means of a strip. The strips as formerly made are formed to conform to a large part of the scalp and are therefore heating and unsanitary, as ventilation of the scalp is impossible. On this strip is secured the hair, which, in the old style toupee, extends but a little way beyond the strip and looks stiff and unnatural on account of the comparatively short hair used.

In my construction of toupee, the strip by means of which the toupee is fastened to the head is narrow and is usually so disposed -that its upper face simulates the scalp and forms a backing for the part, if one is made. The hair portion extends beyond the strip and rests on the head when the strip is in place, whereby the major portion of the hair contacts with the scalp. I also illustrate a construction whereby the hair pertion of the toupee can be made as above, and also have the hair raised from the head like thick hair.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top of a head with my improved form of toupee in place. Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the toupee removed. Fig. 3 is a section of a modified form. Figs. 4 and 5 are sections of still further modifications. Fig. 6 is a view of a strip formed so that it will cause a fluffy or thick appearance of the hair portion, and Fig. 7 is a modification of a form of strip. Fig. 8 isa view showing a method of preventing the hair from being divided to too great an extent.

The toupee consists of a strip 10 which is resilient and flexible to fit the scalp of the wearer where it is aflixed, although it is Y usually aflixed at a substantially smooth and level portion of the head, that is, at the top, but it will be understood that it can also be afliXed at other parts of the head where the necessity for the toupee exists. This strip 10 is narrow and can be made as the backing strips of toupees are now made, that is, of netting, or I can employ other flexible material, as will be evident. To the strip 10 is fastened the hair portion 11 which is made of hair affixed either in the usual manner of affixing the hair in wigs and toupees to their backings, or in the improved manner to be hereinafter described. The hair portion extends from the strip, preferably from all sides thereof, the hair portion extending with most of its length beyond the strip so that when the toupee is fastened by means of the strip 10 to the head, the hair portion 11 has its major portion in contact with the scalp, that is, it rests on the top of the head of the wearer, the scalp is seen through between the hairs if the hairs become disarranged, and the whole device gives the appearance of being natural hair. It further provides for the hair being combed or dressed according to the will of the wearer, that is, it can be combed down roughly as in Fig. 1, or curled sharply back across the forehead if desired, since so much of the hair extends beyond the strip that it is flexible and pliable for its whole length and can be dressed and combed in different ways. This form of toupee also provides for a more sanitary condition of the head, since the ventilation through the hair is free, and but a small portion of the scalp is covered by the backing strip of the toupee. This ventilation and sanitary condition permits the head to be kept cool and not unduly heated, which is the case when a large portion of the scalp is covered by the backing strip as is the case in the old style of toupee in which the backing strip fits the head and extends over the bald portion to nearly its limits, and the hair then extends beyond the edges of the strip but a short distance. This causes the hair to be curled or held down fairly tight to the edges of the strip to not make the edges apparent to any observer,

and the appearance of the hair is not natof such a color that it simulates the scalp and looks like the skin of the wearer where the hair is parted as at 12. Of course it will be evident that I do not wish to imply that I necessarily make the part on the strip, as the strip can be used without a part if desired. 4

If I care to have the hair assumea thick or flufiy condition, the hair is arranged to extend from the backing strip vertically or substantially vertically and then fall over to the sides. To accomplish this fiuffy or thick appearance I may form two rolls forming raised strips 13 which are fastened to the top of the strip 10 and receive the hair portion 11, the hair portion having its ends put in these raised strips, the strips themselves causing the hair to be raised at this point, and by their construction, also holding the part of the hairs in the strip so that they emerge vertically or perpendicular to the strip. I may make one of these strips 13 as shown in Fig. t with its hair portion 11 attached thereto, the strip 13 being attached directly to the head. It will of course be understood that the other strip 13 to form the hair at the other side of the part is also independently attached to the head, showing the natural scalp between them at the part.

In Fig. 5 is still another modified form of raised strip which consists of a tube 15 which is split as at 16, the s lit portion having its ends forced toget er to hold. the ends of the hair portion 11, the strip 16 either being fastened directly to the head or fastened to a strip which in turnis fastened to the head.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a strip 18 having its edges turned up as at 17 so that the hair portion 11 passing over these edges is lifted from the head, that is, it is raised so as to give the hair the appearance of being thick and giving a more fluffy appearance to the toupee. In cases where the wearer of a toupee is bald on the top of his head and the bald portion extends down pretty well on the back or on the sides, or'on both back and sides, the strip 19 as shown in Fig. 7, which is similar to the strip 10 in Figs. 1 and 2, is formed with an extension 20 which can be in the form of a transverse strip, an oval strip, or it can be provided to extend slightly upwardly or downwardly, or even toward the front of the head on the sides, so as to fully cover the entire bald portion and still permit the major portion of the hair to rest on the head, but still providing suflicient support to keep the hair portion approximately in place.

In Fig. 8 is illustrated, in sectional view,

the hair portionaffixed' to a strip and showing stitches or other binding means 21, which stitches or binding runs along the lower strata or portion of hair to keep this lower strata or portion approximately in its place, but allowing it a slight movement and forming a background for the upper strata or layer of hair which is free except at its juncture with the strip. It will be evident from this description that this last mentioned form of toupee permits the hair that is on the top, or in view, to be moved about and dressed, and provides a background of hair which has a limited movement, but which is held substantially in its place to give a background of hair to the upper strata and not permit a dividing or splitting of the hair portion of the toupee.

Toupees made according to this invention, particularly the kind shown inFigs. 1 to 5 inclusive, can be made in lengths, that is, a long strip can be supplied with hair, which method of making the strip and aflixing the hair thereto is economical and quick. This long strip can then be cut into lengths to provide toupees of desired dimensions, and after this cutting into lengths, if the hair portion of the toupee so cut off needs trimming, it can be trimmed to coincide with the ideas of the wearer to merge with the natural hair, as will be evident.

Having thus described my invention,-what I claim is 1. A toupee comprising a narrow strip for securing the toupee to the head of the wearer and having its upper surface simulating the skin of the wearer, a hair portion secured to the strip and extending in opposite directions therefrom, the hair having its major portion extending beyond the strip and resting on the head of the wearer, and means for securing the hair portion to the strip so that the hairs emerge therefrom in a substantially vertical direction.

2. A toupee comprising a narrow strip for securing the toupee to the head of the wearer and having its upper surface simulating the skin of the wearer, a hair portion secured'to the strip and extending in opposite directions therefrom, the hair having its major portion extending beyond the strip and resting on the head of the wearer, and a raised element for securing the hair portion to the strip and causing the hair to emergeetherefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strip.

3. A toupee comprising a narrow strip for securing the toupee to the head of the wearer and having its upper surface simulating the skin of the wearer, a hair portion secured to the strip and extending in opposite directions therefrom, the hair having its major portion extending beyond the strip and resting on the head of the wearer, and substantially parallel raised strips on the first-mentioned strips to form the boundaries of the part and cause the raising of the hair portion on each side of the part and adjacent thereto.

4:. A toupee comprising a body portion of hair, a sustaining strip to which the hair is secured, and binding means connecting the hairs of the lower strata of the hair portion to hold the lower strata approximately in its place, but permitting the unhindered 10 movement of the upper strata.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of November 1911.

LEOPOLD S. SAMUEL. Witnesses:

WM. H. GAMFIELD, M. A. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

